A Horse's Thoughts Pt4 - The Law Of Diminishing Anxiety

The Law of Diminishing Anxiety describes a fundamental way in which a horse's thoughts and anxiety levels interact to influence behaviour. It is each person's responsibility to understand this law and the importance of directing a horse's thoughts in everything we do during training and riding.
I teach Good Horsemanship around the world helping people to understand the emotional and mental component of how horses operate to achieve both a willing partnership and bond and to maximize the performance potential of a horse.
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[@leealexander3507]

My stallion is precisely the opposite. Going somewhere allows him to see new exciting things so he is very eager to go exploring. It took him awhile to gain the confidence to be that way. It also took my making certain there were things a horse values here and there along the way. It's good to provide positive incentive so the horse learns to look forward eagerly to leaving the safety of his home.

[@lynnm.kleingardner8640]

Love the humor you inject with those clips!

[@patriciagriffiths398]

Hello Ross thank you so much for your reply. I actually feel honoured. I have just found your utube Chanel recently. You are a wonderful horseman with so much knowledge that it is teaching me so much. So thanking you for sharing this knowledge with us. So much looking for your next video. Kindest regards Patricia

[@patriciagriffiths398]

Ross really enjoying your videos. Just a question I'm a novice rider. Used to ride a lot when younger. Can't believe no instructor taught me this. All my life when doing rising trot I've always used my stirrups to post up and down. But realise I've being doing it all wrong. But just to ask I suppose a horse when trotting would push me out of the saddle. Appreciate your advice

[@laurettewilcock1934]

I’ve just found you’re channel . Really like it a lot . Really uncanny about Alice because my grandmother passed away 7 weeks ago . My family had a life celebration get together for her . My dad gave a fantastic speech about the theory of life after death . The toast words were” To Iris ( Grandmas name ) wherever you are “ . Just made me smile . Thanks again for the good information .

[@RossJacobs]

Thank you Laurette. I am sorry about your grandmother passing. The fact that people loved her is a tribute to the life she led.

[@annmarieertolacci472]

Hi Ross, I too love your concept on anxiety and have experienced exactly what you describe. Do you have a video on what to do in that situation? My question is similar to PortableSkateSharpening's.

[@RossJacobs]

I don't have a video yet that is specific on what to do. It would be impossible to show exactly what I might do in every specific situation and what I might do with your horse is likely to be very different to what I might do with another horse. I can only refer you to the concept of doing something (enough) to motivate a horse to return their focus back to the person and waiting until their thoughts change and being absolutely vigilant and consistent in this goal. At first you will probably find yourself very busy and interrupting their thought every second or so, but as they find the 'okay-ness' in being with you it gets easier and they hold their focus and calmness longer. Check out the video on the horse afraid of the cart to give you some ideas. kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHacmXmnhJ6qe7c

[@patriciagriffiths398]

Hello Ross really enjoying your videos and find them really helpful. Just wondering how often you you do them and on any particular day. Thank you in advance

[@RossJacobs]

HI Patricia. I don't have a video schedule. I travel a lot teaching clinics (8 months per year) and I only get time to video a clip when I am home. I have plans for more videos, but probably not until get home for a couple of weeks in November.

[@sojoechard1251]

Omg, this is my horse, but only if I’m riding near the barn. If we load to leave and ride elsewhere, she’s great

[@wwcreations1]

Can you recommend someone for how to train a driving horse? Or do a video on starting a driving horse ? Do you ever do long lining?

[@RossJacobs]

I don't know where you live, so I can't recommend a driving trainer. I don't teach driving myself, but have done some long lining from time to time - mainly at clinics for people who want help getting their horses started for driving. Sorry I am not much help to you. I hope you find somebody suitable.

[@kathybradbury]

There’s a sweet man named Barry Hook who has a KZbin channel ...he’s in England and has been teaching and trading horses to drive for probably over forty years. I’d check with him. He’s come to the states not too long ago, and probably knows like-minded people in many places.

[@KKIcons]

If you can get ahold of Tom O'Caroll, go to one of his clinics, etc, he will get you started on the right track. He gave me some good advice coming off a wreck with my first driving training project. I went ahead with teaching myself to train to drive, but if I had the money, the animals and I would have done a lot better going with Tom's training. It might be called a Good Hands clinic. I have heard he moved his farm from Navasota, TX, where it was before. I might still have his email, if you want it.

[@asportableskatesharpening4207]

Hi Ross, I love your interpretation of the concept of anxiety, however, what is your typical appraoch to solving these problems? In other words, how do you convince him to change his thoughts to the trail rather than his buddies?

[@RossJacobs]

You might check out this video as an example of how I helped a horse feel less anxious about a moving cart. This is just on example, but please note that the thing I was releasing pressure for was a change in focus which allowed the mare to change her emotions. It may appear that I was waiting for the feet to change, but in reality it was a change in the horse's thought which caused the emotions to lull which then caused the feet to become quiet. kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHacmXmnhJ6qe7c

[@hgarcia8339]

This makes no sense. And you really didn't answer any questions. You just stated a problem and have no solution.

[@RossJacobs]

I am sorry you don't understand the principles of the video. Perhaps you could state what most confuses you. In regard to the solution, I state at 3m 8s that the problem can be avoided by ensuring that what a horse is thinking he wants to do and what we are asking him to do are the same thing. I go onto to give some examples that explain how the further a horse's thought and his feet are apart the more the anxiety. Therefore, if your horse is thinking he wants to turn left and you want him to turn right, in order to avoid raising his anxiety make sure you change his mind from thinking to the left to now thinking to the right when asking him to turn to the right. Don't reward for his feet moving to the right, but reward for this mind thinking to the right then allow his feet to follow. Remember a horse is always trying to do what he is thinking of doing. Therefore, change the thought and you get a change in the feet with a minimum of anxiety. If you asking for a specific set of exercises to achieve this end you are asking the wrong trainer because what you do to help your horse will vary from horse to horse and moment to moment with each horse. There is no generic exercise. It's in everything you do from picking up a foot to flying changes. It just require a person to be aware and vigilant about their horses needs and to be a thinking horse person rather than a rider who works according to a exercise recipe book. If I was to see you and your horse firsthand I would be able to offer some ideas to the type of work you might consider. But without knowing you or your horse and seeing it for myself I would only be guessing what you and your horse might need to you both following a thought. I hope that is clearer.

[@waunetag.2106]

Some people are dense